Flying-machine.



R. B. EUBANK, JR. & J.- C. EUBANK FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, 1908.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

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R. B. EUBANK, JR. & J. G. EUBANK.

I FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION rum) 00T.16, 1908.

977,517. Patented Dec.6,1910.

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REUBEN B. EUBANK, JR, AND JUDSON 'o. EU'BANK, oE' KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI; SAID REUBEN .B. EUBANK, .13., ASSIG-NOR T0 MARY E.- EUIBANK, or mauvsns CITY;

MISSOURI.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application filed October 15, 1908. Serial no. 457,856.

flying machines, and our object is to provide a machine of this character embodying the elements of simplicity, safety, and'complete control.

One important feature of the invention is. the novel means whereby the ascent, descent,

and steering of the machine is obtained. This and other features ofthe invention will hereinafter appear, and in order that it may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 represents a broken side elevation of the machine. Fig; 2 is a central vertical sectionof the same on line II -II-"of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line TIL-1110f Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are details of a portion .of the mechanism'for' controlling the machine. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section on line VIVI of Fig. 1;

In carrying out the invention we employ a car 1, which may be covered withia roof if desired-to protect the operator frominclement weather. All the lovers for -controlling the machine are arranged insaid car within convenient reach of the operator.

The ascent, descent, and steering of the machine are controlled by a air ofcombination parachutes and ropel ers 2 and 3 of conical form,-reciproca ly-mounted upon-a vertical shaft 4 having a ball and socket'conmotion 5 with a short vertical shaft 6 journaled in the bottom of the car, as shown in Fig. 5. Said ball a'nd socket joint acts as a thrust bearing between the shafts 4 and 6, and fermits anarcual movement'of shaft4 relative to shaft 6.. Said propellers consist of sleeves 7, reciprocably-mounted on shaft 4, disks 8, and rings 9 secured to the upper and lower ends, res tively, of said sleeves,-

and a'series of Va ves- 10, whichautomati.

cally o en'and close as the propellers move upwar and downward, respectively. Rings 9 are reinforcedby radial arms 9 whereby they are secured to the lower terminals of the sleeves-7.

By arranging the valves to open as the propellers make their u ward strokes, little more than the edges .0 said valves will be presented to the air', hence they will ofler but little resistance to the ascent of the machine,

and by arranging them to close on the downward strokes of the propellers, they will present a solid surface to the air and thus drive .the machine upward. The valves are prowhich are pivotally-mounted in rings 9, and

the upper ends 'of said valves are. pivotally- 'mounted upon rods 12 secured'at theirends to disks 8 and rings 9. 'Pins 11 and rods 12 are located nearer to one of the longitudinal edges than the other of said valves, so the latter may be automatically opened and closed by the pressure of the air against the 'same. However, to insure the'instant closmg of the valves, just prior to the propellers makingitheir downward strokes, we provide a pair of annuli 13 against which the valves contact and are closed thereby. To avoidshock or injury to the valves when contacting with said annuli, the latter are mounted upon resilient-arms 14, the upper" set of. which is fixed to shaft 4,. while the lower set is fixed to the lower terminal of the upper sleeve The opening movement of the valves is limited by stops 9*, so they will strike the annuli at an angle and thus be readily closed by said annuli. Stops 9" extend inwardly from rings 9, as shown in Fig. 6.

Reciprocating motion is imparted to pro-- pellers 2 and 3 by connecting-rods 15 and 16, pivoted at their upper ends to the sleeves and at their lower ends to a-pair of bevel gears 17 and 18, respectively, journaled upon.

a cross-arm '19 at the lower terminal of shaft 4." The pivotal connections t6 said gears are arranged, so that when one propeller is forced upward, the other is drawn'downward, hence a constant upliftis'exerted to either lift the machine or maintain it at a certain altitude. Y

As previously stated, shaft 4 has a ball and socket connection with shaft 6: This is for the purpose of permitting shaft 4 to be 7 inclined in any direction so that the machine may be steered by the propellers 2 and 3, and also assisted in its forward movement by the same. The desired inclination of shaft 4 is effected by altoothed segment 20, depending from an arm 19, and a worm '110 t 6 by a collar 25 fixed to said shaft.

21 j ournaled in a'yoke 22 and provided with a crank 23, whereby it may be rotated. The turning of shaft 4 to the right or left, together with the propellers 2 and 3, to effect the steering of the machine is accomplished by a hand-wheel 24 fixed to said shaft. Yoke 22 retains shaft 4 upon shaft 6 and is pivotally-mounted upon the latter shaft, so that it may. turn with thecross-a rm 19. It is held from upward movement on shaft 26 designates a bevel gear fixed to shaft 6,. and intermeshing with the bevel gears 17 and 18 for the purpose of driving the same. Shaft 6 is driven by a bevel gear 27 fixed upon its lower terminal and driven by a bevel gear 28 loosely. mounted upon a shaft 29, journaled in a pair of hangers 30 de .ending from the bottom of the car. The bu b of bevel gear 28 is provided with a fined sprocket-wheel 31 havmg connection with .a motor-shaft, not shown, whereby it is driven.

Said hub also has a 'peripheral groove 33 to receive the lower end of a handlever 34 whereby bevel gear 28 is shifted v intoand out of engagement with bevel gear 36 designates a sprocket-wheel loosely mounted upon shaft 29 and provided with a clutch-member 37, adapted to be engaged by a clutch-member 38 slidably mounted upon shaft 29, but. made to rotate therewith through the instrumentality of a feather 39.

- Clutch-member 38 is shifted into and out of engagement with clutch-member 37 by a hand-lever 40. Sprocket-wheel 36 has connection with the motor-shaft so that it will drive shaft 29 when clutch-member 38 is thrown into engagement with clutch-member 37. By independently connecting sprocket-wheels 31 and 36 to the motor-shaft,

propellers 2 and ,3 may be operated inde -to each-other, so that when one is moving forward with open valves, the other will be moving backward with closed valves, and

"thus drive themachine forwardw As propeller-s41 and T42 alternately reach the ends 'of'their forward strokes, the valves are auto- ,inatically closed" by a pair of annuli 48, supmpported by resilient arms 49, fixed to shaft 43.

' ing the machine.

tality of the intervening 5O designates a rudder pivotally-mounted upon the rear end of shaft 43, for the purpose of assisting. propellers 2 and 3 in steer- Rudder 50 is controlled by a Windlass 51 carried by the car, and a cable 52 which is given several turns upon the Windlass and attached at its ends to the cross-head 53 of the rudder.

Operation: In starting a flight bevel gear 28 is thrown intomesli with bevel gear 27,

in order to actuate the propellers 2' and 3, which liftthe machine from the ground.

After. the desired altitude is attained, sprocket-wheel 36 is locked to shaft 29 so that the latter will, through the instrumenarts, drive the propellers 41 and 42, which rive the machine forward. Then to maintain the equilibrium of the machine, and also assist in driving the same forward, propellers 2 and 3 are inclined forward, and the. machine may be steered either to the right or the left by grasping wheel 24 and swinging -the propellers 2and3in the desired direction thereby. If it is desired to make a sharp turn, rudder 50 is swung to the right or the left,

as occasion demands, to assist propellers 2 and 3 in turning the machine. Should the motor get out of order, and thereby render the propellers inoperative, the machine will be prevented from descending too rapidly by the propellers 2 and 3, the valves of which will be automatically closed by pressure of the air beneatlrthe same, and as said valves are conical in form the pressure will be equally distributed and thus maintain the equilibrium of the machine, so that it will descend in an upright position and alight upon wheels.45.-

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A flying machine, comprising, in combination, intergearedhorizontal and vertical shafts, alternately operated propellers carried by each of said horizontal "and vertical shafts and means for driving said propellers,

each of said propellers consisting of a sleeve, slidable on one of said shafts, an annular member carried on the lower end of said sleeve, a flanged disk carried by the upper end of said sleeve, and valves adapted to rotate'between said disk and said annular member.

2. A flying machine, comprising, in combination, intergeared horizontal and vertical shafts, alternately operated propellers carried by each of said horizontal and vertical shafts and means for driving said propellers,

each of said propellers consisting of a sleeve slidable on a shaft, a small upper annular member, a large lower annular member con; centric with said upper member, substantially rectangular valves pivoted to rotate between said annular .members, and concentrically disposed bufl'ers mounted above each propeller to be struck bythe valveswhen the latter are opened.

3. A flying machine, comprising, in combination, with a car, a vertical shaft, alternately operating propellers slidable on said shaft, valves carried by said propellers adapted to open outwardly 0n the downward stroke of said propellers, and annular buffers disposed to return said valvesto their I ried by each of said horizontal and vertical.

shafts and means for, driving said propellers,

each of' said propellers comprising a sleeve,

upper and lower annular members mounted upon and spaced by sa1d sleeves, mtermed1 ate valves pivoted between said annular members to form a cone-like structure, and

adapted to be'opened upwardly, and buffing devices comprising annular resiliently mounted rings depended to telescope theupper ends of said cone-like structures an .be in the paths of said valvesf In testimony whereof we aflix our sig-' natures, in the presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN B. EUBANK, JR. JUDSON C. EU'BANK.

Witnesses:

F. G. FISCHER,

M. Cox. 

